The Fellowship and Beyond
by Philosophie88
Summary: Drabbles: Legolas leaves for the fellowship but first says goodbye to his family and friends. Set in the world of Proud, Beautiful and Strong.
1. To Spite the Darkness

**A series of drabbles involving Legolas before he leaves to join the Fellowship, and in the future after he returns to Mirkwood.**

** I have the idea that he travelled back to Mirkwood to inform his family of the decision. This first chapter is entitled "To Spite the Darkness", because I am of the opinion that Thranduil always kept things lively in Mirwood despite the darkness that lurked there (think feasting in the forest, even though just a few yards away the dwarves are getting attacked by giant spiders), and Legolas was pretty happy himself in the Fellowship (think all his witty remarks to Gandalf while on Caradhras). **

**This story features OC's from my other stories. Gíl-wen is the daughter of Gil-galad, so Legolas has both grandfathers die during the Last Alliance. **

**It also features the OC's of BrownEyedGirl87 who was kind enough to come up with a slew of Mirkwood warriors for me, who shall be having adventures with Legolas, the Twins and Estel in future works. Plot bunnies are still hoping about.**

**It is set in the same story line as Proud, Beautiful and Strong, but you do not necessarily have to read that story to enjoy this oneshot…which I hope you do! Though do note, that Finwë and Aglar are royal household pets :)**

**Also, Feruin, who is Legolas' little son, name means "Fiery Beech" and his nick-name is _tithen _****_lhach_ which means "little flame".**

**Well, enjoy and Happy New Year! I will update Proud, Beautiful and Strong tonight as a New Year's gift!**

**L'Chaim… Philosophie88**

* * *

The Queen of Mirkwood stood before the tapestry depicting the death of Oropher. She had never known her father-in-law, but she knew that his temperament was much like her husband's- stubborn and proud to a fault. Thranduil had the tapestry commissioned and ordered it to be hung in the halls of the family wing, to remind him and his sons that pride had its downside, but also that loyalty went beyond death.

Countless dead elves lay before the gates of Bara-dur in the background. In the foreground, Thranduil knelt on the ground cradling his _adar_'s bloody head to his chest, tears streaming down his cheeks. Oropher's own face was peaceful. Near the fallen elves flew the banner of the Greenwood, unfurled by the gentle breeze.

Gíl-wen sighed softly. She was certain that while the slaughter behind the rulers was quite accurate, Oropher's peaceful death in the arms of his son was not. The queen reached out to touch the depiction of her husband's tear-strewn face.

"_Naneth_." came the soft voice of the crown prince behind her. "_Naneth_, I have been looking all over for you. Will you not come join the others before I depart? _Adar_ has gotten out his best wine."

She dropped her hand and shook herself from her silent reverie, but still she did not turn. "He would, would he not? Sauron could be at the very gates of these halls and yet he would pause for a glass of Dorwinion. There are several things wrong with this tapestry." She mused aloud. "Your father would never openly cry. He hides his grief in stubborness and merriment. How we had hoped when we wed that your life and that of your brothers and sisters would be free of the shadow. And yet the shadow grew…"

She turned to face her son. "You must go, _ion nin_; you must join this fellowship and see to it that your grandfathers are avenged."

"I intend to, for my _daeradars_, _naneth._" Legolas embraced his mother. "Shall we not join the others? It is my last night home. Rinaer and Hilrochir will be there as well, as if they would miss a chance to annoy me. I should like some pleasant memories to bear with me on the quest."

"Of course,_ ion nin_. Will Maefaron be joining us as well? I assume your father-in-law is quite proud of your accomplishments and honored that you have been chosen as one of the Nine Companions."

Legolas' face saddened at the mention of the captain of his father's guard, who was both his law-father and his old mentor. "Nay, _naneth_, he will not be joining us. Arphenion was on the last patrol…" her son fell silent.

The last patrol had returned with half of the warriors wounded or slain.

Gil-wen could only imagine the worst. She usually tended to wounded warriors and offered condolences to the families of those fallen. But that particular patrol had only come in yesterday and, with Legolas' return, she had been preoccupied with spending as much time with her eldest as she could.

She had lost a father and a mother to the malice of Sauron; she did not wish to lose a son; yet, she could not stop him, duty-bound as he was. So Gil-wen wished to spend every waking minute in his presence, to memorize his laughter, the twinkle in his eye he inherited from his father, the bad jokes he told which undoubtedly he had learned from Glorfindel on his travels to Imladris, the playfulness he exhibited towards his siblings, and the sweet, tenderness with which he interacted with his own small family, wife and son. She dared not to think of the possibility of his demise. Perhaps she was being selfish: she only wanted to be with her son and not worry about the rest of the kingdom for at least one day. But she was a queen, and a queen was a mother to all her people.

"Did he lose his son, Legolas?" she asked quietly. Arphenion was Maefaron's youngest son and Legolas' brother-in-law.

"Yes, _N__aneth_." The queen sent up a silent prayer to the Valar to guide his _feä_ to the Halls of Mandos, as well as another to protect her own two children who were still currently on patrol.

"I shall go to him tomorrow. No doubt Rîneth will come with me as well. We shall take care of Maefaron, while you are away." Rîneth was Legolas' childhood friend and wife, and now all the family that Maefaron had left– his first wife had died at the crossing of the Grinding Ice and his second wife had only been recently wounded by spiders and left to Valinor where she could heal. "You see now the urgency of your quest. Our forest shall never be free of the shadow unless the Ring is destroyed. The halfling is courageous to carry such a burden and I pray for all our sakes he succeeds."

They reached the end of the hall and turned into a large sitting room, ornamented in portraits of the royal family that hung between pillars of twisted beech trees. Gathered together in the room were her husband, children, daughter-in-law, grandchild and some household guards who were friends with Legolas. Before entering the room, the queen and crown prince paused to watch the scene unfold.

Thranduil was seated in large oaken chair near the fire place with a little golden haired elfling seated on his lap, reaching little hands up to his grandfather's crown to pull at the berries entwined there. The Elven King did not seem to mind the distraction of his grandson, and was intently reading the open book to three figures sprawled upon the floor before him, listening to their father tell the tale. Across from this lounging cluster of fair haired _ellyn_, sat a pretty dark-haired maiden, sipping a glass of honeyed milk, while caressing her growing belly with her slender hand. Behind the pregnant_ elleth_ stood Rîneth, braiding her sister-in-law's black tresses. Leaning near some pillars in the far corner of the room, as if not to disturb the family setting, stood two _ellyn_ dressed in the uniforms of the palace guard.

"And so Finwë the Fearsome Rabbit and Aglar the Atrocious Moose saved the valley of Imladris from the terrible invasion of the dusty bunnies that lurked in the darkness of the underbeds, and thus was Erestor the Guardian of All Things Good happy for the time being."

Thranduil finished the story in his most dramatic voice and soft laughter came from the gathered elves at the imaginitive tales of their mother. Gil-wen had written a series of short stories for Feruin on his first begetting day entitled _Finwe and Aglar, Mighty Adventures_, and featured an Overbearing Lord named Elrond, a Mighty Warrior named Glorfindel, and a Tidy Guardian named Erestor along side the moose and rabbit in the lovely vale of Imladris.

Feruin clapped his tiny hands in amusement at the story's cessation and exclaimed: "Again, _dae-ada_, again."

"Nay, _tithen lhach_," (little flame) the King replied laying aside the book and motioning his grandson in the direction of the doorway where his grandmother and father stood. "Your_ ada_ has found _daernana_ and now the party can begin aright."

The elfling clapped his hands again in delight and scampered down the king to run to Legolas.

"_Ada, Ada_! We have party. For you and us. Before you leave to go on a quest like Finwë and Aglar."

Legolas caught his son as he bound forward into his arms and lifted the squealing little elf into his arms, quickly kissing his cheek. "Indeed, _ion nin_, and now _daernaneth_ is here to help us eat the berry cakes."

"Berry cakes!" exclaimed the young elfling excitedly. "We must find them, _Ada."_ He continued rather seriously, cupping his father's face in his hands to look him in the eyes. His own bright blue eyes animated with youthful enthusiasm. "_Dae-ada_ hid them so sneaky elflings could not get them."

Legolas rested his forehead gently on his little son's. "And who might these sneaking elflings be, _ion nin_? Surely, not yourself."

Feruin giggled and pointed over his father's head to the two guards who had joined the royal family. "Rinaer and Hilrochir, _Ada_." He giggled even more, amused by the idea that he had called two big elves little sneaky elflings.

"Ahhhh, and here I thought they were fierce warriors."

"Nay, _Ada_, they are silly… and sneaky… and they steal all the berry cakes if we let them."

Legolas shifted his son to set him upon his broad shoulders, so that the elfling could have a better view of the room, and turned to face his warrior friends. The two guards in question smiled endearingly at their little prince. Rinaer, the more playful of two, stepped forward to meet the princes producing a tray of fresh berry tarts he had brought for the gathering, courtesy of his mother, who was little Feruin's nanny.

"Yes, I am quite sneaky, _tithen caun_ (little prince). I _have_ stolen the berry tarts, but I have saved some for you."

Feruin put his hands on his little hips, while Legolas held firmly to his legs.

"Does your _naneth_ know?" he said in his best disapproving voice.

Rinaer laughed merrily. "Of course not, my prince, I was quite sneaky."

The little one crossed his hands over his chest at that reply. "I shall have to tell her you were a naughty elfling then." But he reached out his short arms anyways towards the treats. "But first give me the berry tarts. I shall eat them and help you hide your badness."

Meanwhile, Gíl-wen had crossed the room to her husband's side, after briefly stopping to kiss her pregnant daughter on the cheek and greet her daughter-in-law. She now sat in the oaken chair which Thranduil had graciously given up and sipped on the glass of Dorwinion her husband poured for her. She watched the whole exchange between the little elfling and the woodland guard with quiet amusement.

Her heart grew light at the sight of such innocence in the midst of the encroaching shadow. Here in this little room, among friends and family, was the reason her son was to follow in the footsteps of his grandsires. This blissful evening would soon be over; even now, a few halls down, other elves mourned the loss of family and friends. But with the hope that the fellowship would be successful in the days to come came the hope that such cheerful gatherings would abound in the future and the loss of family and friendship would diminish.

Gíl-wen turned to smile up at her husband, who returned the gesture with grey-blue eyes, twinkling above his glass of Dorwinion.

Yes, Thranduil would always be merry in spite of the darkness, and because of this the Greenwood would live to see many such evenings, alive with the revelry of her merry elves.


	2. No Need To Say Goodbye

**Hello Readers,**

**This is turning into a series of dribbles now… Here is Legolas saying goodbye to his younger sister, Mîreth. She is the youngest, barely ten and was bitten by a spider in an accident in the forest. So, she did not get to go to the party for her brother. Legolas went to her room before he left...**

**This is written for the most part by my sis, MorfindelthePhysicist! Cause she is awesome! I edited it here and there. We were eating copious amounts of chocolate when this was scribed and listening to soundtracks, hence the influence of ****_The Call_**** from ****Prince Caspian****.**

**Enjoy!**

**L'Chaim… Philosophie87**

* * *

_Just because everything's changing_  
_Doesn't mean it's never been this way before_  
_All you can do is try to know who your friends are_  
_As you head off to the war_  
_Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light_  
_You'll come back when it's over_  
_No need to say goodbye._

The Call_, Regina Specktor_

* * *

The door to the bedroom was closed, so Legolas tapped softly. One of the healers opened to him and he stepped inside, glancing toward the small figure under the covers.

"Is she asleep?" he asked the nurse quietly. She shook her head. "I just need a few minutes to say goodbye."

The woman bowed slightly and left the room, closing the door behind her. The crowned prince approached the bed where his little sister lay. Sitting down carefully next to her, he bent to kiss her forehead.

She had been staring at the wall opposite the door and now turned her head back to fix her gaze on him. Legolas smiled and stroked her burning cheek. "How is my little warrior-maiden faring?" he asked, his fingers lingering on her face. He avoided looking at her swollen arm, instead meeting her eyes and trying to find the glimmer of laughter that usually danced within them.

"My elbow feels heavy," she whispered. "And I'm very cold. Colder than the time I fell in the icy river." Her breathing was shallow.

"I remember that," he answered, winking. "You almost turned into an icicle!"

Mîreth's eyes seemed to be holding on to him, since she could not physically reach out. "But you saved me, Legolas. You jumped in after me and saved me."

"Yes, I did," was the response. "And then I was freezing cold as well! We would have been two little ice-elves if _Nana_ and _Ada_ had not helped us get warm in time." He tickled her gently under the chin and she finally giggled. "There's a smile," he said, his heart leaping. She had not smiled very often lately.

"We would have been one big ice-elf and one little one," she corrected, the twinkle remaining in her eyes. "You are not small, silly brother."

Legolas stopped smiling and pretended to be shocked. "Are you calling me fat?" he asked, with an offended air.

She giggled again and nodded. He sighed and shook his head. "I shall have to stop eating too much pie," he said ruefully.

The sad look came back. "Was there pie at the party?" Mîreth asked, remembering where her brother was going.

"There were berry tarts," affirmed the prince. Mîreth's eyes brightened a little, in the hopes that he had brought her one. "But I am afraid that Feruin ate them all with the help of Galad and Car." The _elfling'_s face fell at the mention that her nephew and brothers had consumed all the treats.

His heart breaking for her, Legolas hid his own pain and kissed her again, striving to change the subject. He only wanted to see her smile. "You will be well again when I return," he tried to be encouraging. "And your brothers will have killed all the spiders so they will not bite you again." He stroked her hair.

"I want you to stay here," her voice had dropped back down to a whisper. Her lips trembled as she tried bravely not to cry. "I will miss you so much."

"Oh, sweetling, I will miss you like I miss the stars on a cloudy night," Legolas told her.

She looked at him for a long moment. "The stars, Las, I have not seen them for more than a week." Her eyes were big and pleading. "They won't let me go out."

Legolas came to a decision in that moment. "Then we will have to be careful that they do not catch us," he told her. Mîreth looked confused. Her brother lifted her in his arms, blankets and all, and wrapped her securely against the cold. He smiled down at her conspiratorially. "Don't make a sound," he whispered, "and don't tell anyone about this!"

Her eyes lit up in response and she silently shook her head. Legolas carefully opened the door and glanced out to make sure no one was watching. The coast was clear, so the prince, carrying the princess, quietly made his way through the halls to his parents' private door. When they reached the entrance to the king and queen's garden, he freed his right hand and undid the latch. Pushing the door outwards, he brought his sister outside, praying that the sky was clear that night.

The siblings were not disappointed: stars glittered like diamonds in the deep blue sky overhead. When he reached a clear spot, Legolas sat down with Mîreth in his lap, supporting her head against his chest and tilting her so she could look up without straining her neck. The child was still feverish, but she began to take slower, deeper breaths as she gazed at the constellations. The light in her eyes began to match the gleam of the stars set deep in the heavens. Legolas smiled as he watched her.

"There are no words to say how beautiful this is," murmured Mîreth, her gaze fixed on the sky. "I thought I would die without ever seeing stars again."

Legolas held her tightly. "I would never let that happen, my dear," he whispered, "and you are not going to die. The healers say you will be better soon." But he could understand how she had felt, trapped inside and in great pain, feeling that the illness could only end one way. The elfling needed fresh air and starlight to rouse her will to heal. He pressed his lips against her head.

"Mîreth," he said, "I am going to save the stars. If I do not, the clouds will cover the sky forever and darkness will swallow even the sun. You know this, don't you?"

She took her eyes from the heavens and looked up at him. She was clutching her stuffed rabbit, Helvui, with her uninjured hand. "You will save them," she said, quietly. "I know you will save them, just like you always save me." Her gaze showed her confidence in his ability to rescue all things good and beautiful in Middle Earth.

"I can save anything if you are here believing in me," Legolas murmured, his eyes meeting hers in an exchange of deep love.

She smiled again. He bent to kiss her cheek and she kissed him when his face was near enough. "Just come back, Legolas."

"I will, _tithen mîr nin _(my little jewel). I promise. I will come back when it's over. No need to say good bye."

The two sat and watched the stars wheel overhead, oblivious to the passage of time. Mîreth finally fell asleep. When Legolas saw that she had drifted off, he carried her back to her bedroom. He wondered if frantic searches had been going on but did not really care.

The queen was waiting in Mîreth's room for them, sitting on the bed. "I had a feeling you had stolen her," Gíl-wen said, standing up to let Legolas set her daughter down. He did so with infinite tenderness and kissed Mîreth one more time before letting his mother arrange the bedclothes. Gíl-wen then stepped back and slipped an arm around her son. Legolas reciprocated the gesture.

"_Nana_," he began, "when I leave, would you please make sure someone takes her out every night to see the stars? No matter what the healers say. She needs to get out."

She tightened her hold on him. "I will do that," she promised. "You can count on it."

Legolas bent and kissed her. "And I will make sure that there are stars for her to see." _Or die trying_, he added in his head.


End file.
